The Great Plains Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-Clinical/Translational Research (CTR) is sending out a Request for Applications (RFA) to the UNMC research community with funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
The RFA is seeking up to 10 researchers/research teams who are interested in working with rural patients and/or stakeholders in their research.
The project, which includes patient, provider and research representation, was collaboratively developed by four co-leads: June Eilers, Ph.D., a retired faculty member in the UNMC College of Nursing; Paul Estabrooks, Ph.D., professor in the UNMC College of Public Health; Carol Geary, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate in the UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences and project manager; and Jim McClay, M.D., associate professor, UNMC Department of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Eilers, who represents the patient and caregiver perspective on the leadership team, said, “We are excited to get patients and caregivers involved in developing research questions and working to make projects more practical and relevant for rural folks.”
“This project is designed to allow us to collaboratively develop tools to help researchers engage patients, their family, caregivers, and the health care team in the design, completion, interpretation, and dissemination of their research,” Dr. Geary said.
Researchers interested in being considered must submit a one-page summary of their research project to RuralEngagement@unmc.edu by 8 a.m. (CST) on Monday, Jan. 14. Here are the guidelines for completing the one-page summary.
Researchers interested in engaging patients can submit proposals in any of the following three stages of research development:
- Planning a new project;
- Implementing and/or analyzing a current project; and
- Disseminating research findings.
“Engaging stakeholders with firsthand experience of conditions can produce more patient-centered, useful, and trustworthy research,” Dr. McClay said. “Ultimately, this should lead to greater use of research results by patients and the broader health care community.”
The 10 winning researchers will be notified by Jan. 31. Each researcher will work with up to five patients or stakeholders, who will serve as partners with the researchers. A two-day workshop for patients and stakeholders to meet with the researchers will be held in late summer at UNMC.
Several member institutions of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Network will be able to submit applications. In addition to UNMC, other participating Nebraska institutions include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney and Boys Town National Research Hospital.
Other participating institutions include the University of South Dakota, University of North Dakota, and North Dakota State University.
Funding for the project is being provided by the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards.